


Red Handed

by DestinyFreeReally



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, frank gets shot but like, thats kind of a tuesday for him right?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 08:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14256933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyFreeReally/pseuds/DestinyFreeReally
Summary: “He’s had worse,” Curt promised her, but it didn’t stop her from shaking.“He’d be better if he stopped putting himself in the goddamn line of fire,” Karen muttered, loud enough to hope that Frank Castle could still hear her.





	Red Handed

    It’s Karen’s hands that end up with Frank’s blood on them. Not in the metaphorical sense, because everyone involved knows she’s blameless in this; but the literal, dark-red-stained kind of blood on her hands. Frank coached her through keeping the pressure on his chest- blood soaking through his shirt, between her fingers and under her nails. Karen called Curtis when Frank told her to- when his voice when weaker and his eyes started closing.   
  
    “If you die on my couch, I will never forgive you,” she whispered against his cheek, his eyes had been closed too long.    
  
    When Curtis arrived, Karen could read in his face that Frank was in bad shape.    
  
    “He’s had worse,” Curt promised her, but it didn’t stop her from shaking.    
  
    “He’d be better if he stopped putting himself in the goddamn line of fire,” Karen muttered, loud enough to hope that Frank Castle could still hear her.    
  
    When he opened his eyes, Karen was there, waiting. Her eyes were dry, but even through one good eye Frank could see she looked like hell. Blinking painfully, he couldn’t believe how much it hurt to breathe.    
  
    “You’re gonna get yourself killed,” he looked to her, and thought about reaching for her shoulder or her hand. Her hands were still stained red, and Frank sighed, looking away.    
  
   “Talking to yourself now? Don’t tell me  _ this _ is the bullet that finally cracked you up.” She smiled softly at him, and Frank wondered if that was the smile he’d been dreaming of while his eyes were closed.    
  
    “You’re gonna get yourself killed standing next to me,” he sobered, opening his bruised eye to meet her blue ones.    
  
    Sitting on her coffee table, Karen reached for Frank, letting her red fingertips soften his balled fist.    
  
    “I’m only alive because you pushed me out of the way,” she spoke, softly but surely, “and if you ever take a bullet for me again, I’ll shoot you myself, Castle.” With a lasting squeeze to his hand, Karen stood abruptly. “Curtis said you’d need fluids when you woke up, are you a chicken or tomato kind of guy?”    
  
   Blinking still, Frank struggled to lean up, his eyes following her to the kitchen. “Chicken or tomato?”   
  
   “Soup? Campbell’s may come in a can, but I can work a mean microwave,” smiling back at the couch at him, when Karen turned to face her cabinet, she let out a sigh of relief. He was awake, finally, and now that he was, she was going to nurse him back to health- even if it killed him. 


End file.
